blog # 2

The Jim Collins Foundation

The Jim Collins foundation was started after the death of Jim Collins in 2006 who was a licensed clinical social worker, certified group psychotherapist and a clinical instructor in the department of psychiatry at the Yale school of medicine and was an advocator for the transgender community.

I decided to write about the Jim Collins foundation for my first blog for transgender studies. The Jim Collins foundations main purpose is to raise money to aide many transgendered people with financial assistance for gender – confirming surgeries. The foundation offers different types of surgeries based on their preference of the person who wants the surgery. This allows many transgender people to live a healthy and safe life that many may not have been able to have if they didn’t have the gender- confirming surgeries. By having the gender- confirming surgery it reduces depression and suicide rates for many who feel trapped and alone. This foundation does offer more than just offer financial assistance to many transgendered people it offers a new way of life for many and a way to be empowered by their community.

This connects with the reading “Evil Deceivers and Make Believers” by Talia Mae Bettcher. Bettcher discusses visibility and invisibility in the chapter and the death of Gwen Araujo in 2002 and notes that “ it appears that at some point Araujo was subjected to forced genital exposure in the bathroom, after which it was announced that “he was really a man” (Reiterman, Garrison, and Hanley 2002). After reading the chapter and searching online for the Jim Collins foundation, I can’t help but wonder if Gwen would still be alive if insurance companies didn’t the “Transsexual Exclusion Cause” or if more foundations were funded to prevent violence. If gender – confirming surgery would mean less violence and suicides in the transgender community WHY ARENT WE FUNDING THIS CAUSE?

The Jim Collins Foundation Website: http://jimcollinsfoundation.org/

The Jim Collins Foundation is a 501©3 not for profit organization! You can donate here http://jimcollinsfoundation.org/donate/

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